Hey-O Everyone!

As we saw the Star Wars and Android: Netrunner games leave town this year, I feel a real need in my gamer soul for a new, jam-packed L.C.G.

As far as I know, FFG hasn't announced anything debuting at Gen Con. The past helps me induce that the company will have something new and amazing in their hands at the convention.

What do you all think they will debut at Gen Con?

As for me personally, I cannot talk myself into investing in a blind-purchase,booster-pack, collectible, card game. However, I'd get in line for a well-playing, living card game.

I suspect there’s a strong chance of an announcement; this is the “we’ll be releasing this at GenCon next year” point in the cycle - regardless, I’ve sworn an oath to myself to leave LCGs for a cycle or two from here on out.

I’m super excited about the fact that VTES has gone back into print (only products so far are aimed at vets), but it doesn’t look like they’ll be doing random distribution this time around.

We would have gotten an announcement if they had a new LCG for gencon this year by now

L5R was announced a year beforehand, and Arkham Horror was announcing in the winter or at Arkham Nights the year before I think

Yes, Ersatz

I feel very excited for the reprint of VTES! Do you feel like the gameplay needs any tweaks?

Also, I don't know, Radix, I feel like FFG could drop a game a couple of weeks prior to Gen Con to get that draw-drop, instant-buzz effect, like, "FFG announces Dune LCG!"

It seems like FFG has so much invested in the Android Universe. They have to do something huge with this intellectual property, outside of a half-baked, Netrunner spin-off.

It would be very unlike them to drop a game unannounced like that.

On 7/9/2018 at 10:58 AM, Grimwalker said:

It would be very unlike them to drop a game unannounced like that.

SW: Legion was announced mid-Gen Con IIRC.

11 minutes ago, Kakita Shiro said:

SW: Legion was announced mid-Gen Con IIRC.

And Arkham (and the scrapped original SW LCG) were debuted at GenCon, although I believe both were announced before.

I have no doubt that they'd love to be able to show off a new LCG. I doubt they have one ready in the chamber though. I don't think they were motivated to create a new one to immediately replace the SW:LCG, and the Netrunner implosion (by the information we've seen) was fairly recent.

I'll bet Netrunner & any possible replacement(s) for it will be the top 2 questions FFG personnel get asked at GenCon.

I should also expect they'll be demoing Heroes of Terrinoth.

I expect they will have some kind of announcement for something in the pipeline with a 2019 Gencon release.

Radix2309,

I'm hoping big-time for the same thing. I hope that FFG doubles down on the viability of the LCG!

On 7/18/2018 at 11:49 AM, Kakita Shiro said:

SW: Legion was announced mid-Gen Con IIRC.

Announced, yes. Anything can be *announced*.

Released, no. That’s what I took “debut” to mean.

On 7/18/2018 at 7:11 PM, Duciris said:

I doubt they have one ready in the chamber though.

My 0.2: they don't need a "one ready", they just need a reskin. So, I imagine we'll be seeing a Star Wars reboot of Conquest. Just give them time to have the old SW LCG buried

Conquest would be a terrible platform for Star Wars. No faction except for the imperials contests control of planets via direct military force.

And I think with Destiny, they're done with SW LCGs. At least competitive ones, and I think it's a competitive LCG that they're after. At least to fill the Winter Worlds disparity – they only have 3 games at the moment (L5R, AGoT, Runewars minis).

I'd believe a reskin of Conquest in Twilight Imperium – although I'd prefer a new game in that setting over a reskin.

They aren't going to reskin a game. They didnt even reskin L5R. They will build a new game that is thematic for the more they use.

Does FFG even still have the license for Star Wars card games?

17 minutes ago, Kakita Shiro said:

Does FFG even still have the license for Star Wars card games?

I believe that Star Wars Destiny says, "Yes."

53 minutes ago, Kakita Shiro said:

Does FFG even still have the license for Star Wars card games?

For cardgames and miniature games, yes. For boardgames, each individual game is a different (love) story with Hasbro.

1 hour ago, Julia said:

For cardgames and miniature games, yes. For boardgames, each individual game is a different (love) story with Hasbro.

FFG also has it for RPGs.

Right, forgot about RPGs. Thanks

Well they are clearly trying models that are not LCGs.

I'm sorry but I am sort of a Kleptomaniac, when I get into a game I want every available piece/card. I get every expansion to it. If I can't keep up then I tend to leave it. MtG being one of them. I get the idea of rare cards but rare is not rare when you can drop $200 and get 4 copies of it.

Keyforge with every card being unique, well not unique but each deck has a unique back so there are no two cards the same I am sort of turned down by it. I can't customize anything, I am stuck with that randomized deck, and with my luck it would be a deck full of angry chickens.

My hunch, LCGmodel is done. We have 4? They are the last of their breed.

9 hours ago, Ywingscum said:

My hunch, LCGmodel is done. We have 4? They are the last of their breed.

If this is the case, I am SO happy I bought in in 4 of them. All these games will retire eventually and I will have the pleasure to have full sets for all these games and play whatever format I want in the many ears to come. CCGs will have no appeal for me in any way

On the side let's not forget that FFG was not the only editor to support this distribution model. Ashes, and Epic are also sold in the same way with non randomized content. If FFG drops this model, other will pick it up for sure. The main pain point of the LCG model was the long term attrition of the players being difficult to offset with new blood due to the high entry cost. I think adjustments can be made on the frequency and quantity of packs FFG was releasing the more expansions you brin out the harder it is for new players to get in. Drastically curating the quality of the cards you put in your packs to avoid to have half of them be unplayable and never leave the binder could help.

The LCG model isn't done. At least not for co-ops. LotR is still running and Arkham has a lot of room for a decade or more.

And there is potential for other coop LCGs. Like Android, or maybe a new setting.

As for competitive LCGs, there is still room. 3 seems like a sweet spot. Maybe 4 during a transition.

5 hours ago, Hellvlad said:

If this is the case, I am SO happy I bought in in 4 of them. All these games will retire eventually and I will have the pleasure to have full sets for all these games and play whatever format I want in the many ears to come. CCGs will have no appeal for me in any way

On the side let's not forget that FFG was not the only editor to support this distribution model. Ashes, and Epic are also sold in the same way with non randomized content. If FFG drops this model, other will pick it up for sure. The main pain point of the LCG model was the long term attrition of the players being difficult to offset with new blood due to the high entry cost. I think adjustments can be made on the frequency and quantity of packs FFG was releasing the more expansions you brin out the harder it is for new players to get in. Drastically curating the quality of the cards you put in your packs to avoid to have half of them be unplayable and never leave the binder could help.

AEG also did it with Doomtown: Reloaded, which has been picked up by Pine Box and they are again releasing product for the game.

Also, strongly doubt that LCGs are done. It my assumption that the lack of SW:LCG sales after Destiny released heralded its end. Then all of a sudden Netrunner ended. They were definitely already working on KeyForge when they canceled SW. (It takes too long to get a game to market for them to just have suddenly added it.)

I still expect a new competitive non-star-wars LCG announced before next GenCon, soft-released at GenCon 2019, hard released world-wide 2 weeks later, and have its first World Championship the subsequent November. (The L5R model.)

I'm less sure what the future holds for additional cooperative LCGs. 2 seems like a good number. However, there really isn't as much overlap of the AH and LotR player bases as I would have expected. Perhaps if the setting is interesting and the gameplay is sufficiently different, they could have 3 co-ops.

Regardless, I don't want to see a clone/pallet-swap/reskin of any existing or previous LCG. I think there is a lot of potential and that FFG has a very creative and competent group that more than capable of creating something new.